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Today marks 25 years since Neil Warnock was named Sheffield United manager on 2nd December 1999.
I should probably let you know now that I was born about halfway through his time as manager, so I will try my best to surmise his tenure. Although, I think it highlights the power of the man that even those who weren’t there still remember him fondly and can’t help but smile when he pops up on social media.
His appointment
Warnock entered his boyhood club with honours, a National League title with Scarborough in 1987, then leading Notts County to successive playoff promotions from the Third and Second divisions. He’d also repeat his playoff success with Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle.
Perhaps his greatest accolade though, was the Yorkshire Electricity Cup with the Terriers in 1994. One of only a few managers to win the trophy which only lasted between 1990-1996.
He joined the Blades as Adrian Heath’s replacement. Heath had resigned after just six months in the job he had inherited from Steve Bruce.
Warnock’s first season wasn’t a simple one. He had to guide the Blades away from the relegation zone eventually guiding his side to 16th. Impressively, Warnock won his first four league games in charge, equalling the amount of wins the Blades had recorded that season prior to his arrival.
He also landed himself in the record books immediately as he oversaw Lee Morris’ £3 million club record sale.
His first full season
The 2000-2001 season saw Warnock have a season to himself and a first summer transfer window.
His two permanent fees that summer were paid for Nantes’ forward Patrick Suffo and Stockport County’s forward Laurent D’Jaffo. Additionally, four loanees and four free agents joined the club.
Along with the external additions came the breakthrough season of a young Phil Jagielka, a crucial figure in every success Warnock had with the Blades.
With a full season to hand, Warnock made an improvement on the 16th place of 1999/2000 finishing 10th just six points off the playoffs.
A significant highlight along the way was his first Steel Derby win on 1st April 2001 at Hillsborough with goals from D’Jaffo and Carl Asaba.
2001-2002
Warnock’s Blades took a step back in his second full season. A record of 15 wins, 15 draws, and 16 losses showed an inconsistency that led to a middling finish of 13th. Not to mention the goal difference of -1 from 53 goals scored and 54 conceded.
Still an improvement on the Blades he’d picked up pre-Millennium. But still far from what they’d become.
Battle of Bramall Lane
Possibly the most notable part of the season was the infamous Battle of Bramall Lane on 16th March 2022. The only match in English Football League history to be abandoned because of insufficient players.
An untraditional derby turned Bramall Lane into a warzone. A particular contention existed between midfielders Georges Santos and Andy Johnson.
After a ninth minute red for Blades’ keeper Simon Tracey for handling the ball outside of the box. The game continued pretty normally until the hour mark. After Derek McInnes’ goal for the Baggies, Warnock made the fateful change.
Suffo and Santos entered the field but not for long. Santos went in two-footed against Andy Johnson leading to a melee. In the chaos, Suffo headbutted McInnes and the Blades were down to just eight players.
Then after the Baggies third, Blades’ players Michael Brown and Robert Ullathorne were forced off with injuries. The game was abandoned, and a week later the Baggies bagged the points. Both Suffo and Santos never featured for the Blades again.
2002-2003 So close yet so far
Warnock and his Blades got their act together turning the previous season’s draws into wins. The only fee paid for a player that season saw Steve Kabba come to Bramall Lane.
This season the Blades faced an old enemy that has haunted them every time since. The playoffs. Despite, Warnock’s previous mastery and the Blades third place finish they lost 3-0 to Wolves at Wembley.
The FA Cup run 2002-2003
Another promising feature of the 2002-2003 season was the FA Cup run. The Blades reached an Old Trafford semi-final against Arsenal, narrowly losing to the Gunners 1-0.
Along the way the Blades beat Cheltenham Town 4-0, Ipswich Town 4-3, and Walsall 2-0. With the cherry on top being the 1-0 win against Leeds in the quarter-finals at Bramall Lane. With the aforementioned Kabba getting the winner.
Ever the trendsetter, Warnock would see his feat repeated by Nigel Clough in 2013-2014 and Paul Heckingbottom in 2022-2023.
2003-2004
A less notable season for Warnock’s Blades who failed to make the playoffs finishing 8th.
Although, now very familiar face Jack Lester finished as the Blades top scorer with 15 in all competitions.
2004-2005 We have to die for …
The season that will probably outlive many of us. Purely because, and please don’t tell Billy Sharp, a documentary.
The league season was almost identical an 8th place finish missing out on the playoffs again. But the documentary entitled ‘Warnock’ was a trophy within itself.
How the man didn’t receive a BAFTA for his changing room speech alone still surprises me. In a few minutes, he showed what he’s always been about.
Neil Warnock: “You’ve got to f***ing die for three points.
“I would f***ing die for you lot. Look at the f***ing games we’ve tossed away, you’ve all got to want to be a f***ing team.”
The speech has been used by many since to motivate teams from the Premier League to Sunday League. Although, we could have probably signed a promotion winning team if one of the lads had had a swear jar handy for the gaffer.
2005-06 Finally Promotion
Whether it was the passionate rant from the season before or whether it just finally clicked. In 2005-06, Warnock delivered his Boyhood Blades to the Premier League.
After two seasons of not even qualifying for them, Warnock wisely avoided the playoffs finishing 9 points ahead of 3rd placed Watford. With only the faultless Reading finishing above the Blades on a 106 points.
The January window even saw the return of the Blades’ iconic forward Brian Deane who retired at the end of the season.
Impressively, Warnock’s Blades stayed in the top two for the whole season.
2006-2007 Premier League Blades
The promotion to the Premier League saw some impressive entries into the Blades’ squad. With Rob Hulse, Jon Stead, Matthew Kilgallon and more joining the club.
Aside from the relegation, Warnock’s only season in the Premier League with the Blades had some iconic moments.
Most notably was Phil Jagielka’s turn as goalkeeper against Arsenal on 30th December 2006 following an injury to Paddy Kenny. Jagielka, used by Warnock as a backup keeper instead of having a goalkeeper wasting a place on the bench showed his capabilities between the sticks.
Jagielka kept out Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie and collected a Premier League clean sheet in the process which given the Blades were relegated on goal difference was a significant clean sheet in the side’s survival attempts.
Following the Blades relegation, Warnock said: “Goal difference is very cruel, you just feel very bitter, whoever got relegated would feel bitter but you’ve got to just get on with it.
“Our lads are a genuine bunch of lads but all season we’ve made individual errors and at this level you can’t do that. I don’t think I could’ve got anymore out of a group of players than I’ve got.”
With that Warnock would resign from his boyhood club and later join his next club, Crystal Palace.
Takeaways
Warnock’s time at the Blades can best be summed up as a passion project that came to fruition. His impressive work between 1999-2006 where he toiled away at getting his boyhood team to the Premier League was admirable. Many managers may have left in that time the second a club came calling from the division above.
Warnock, himself, has since admitted his head was almost turned by Portsmouth in December 2005 according to the Portsmouth News. Although, he stayed with the Blades until the job was done.
An essential part of Neil Warnock aside from his many quoteable lines is his need to take on one-last job. Having managed 17 clubs, three of which he’s managed twice, the only thing that surprises me is that Warnock never returned to Bramall Lane.
But, a quarter of a century after his appointment, all that is left to say, is Neil Warnock. Thank you and enjoy your never-really-going-to-retire retirement.
More must-reads:
- Preseason breakout puts Arsenal teenager in the spotlight
- Liverpool set to sell big-name forward to finance Alexander Isak deal
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
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